


Demon of death

by Shi_no_tamashii



Category: The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Genre: Demons, Gen, Sickfic, magic beans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2018-10-06 19:13:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10342767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_no_tamashii/pseuds/Shi_no_tamashii
Summary: Initially, this was going to be a sickfic, but I'm giving it an extra twist. Still a good old sickfic though ^^Sick!Will worried!Jake because we all need that for a change.Also on FF.netUpdated: November 2 2017





	1. Nightmare or magic beans?

**Author's Note:**

> In this story, Will is the oldest. Also, help me bring this fandom back alive. I know this has been lying dormant for a long time now, but this deserves so much more attention. I’m writing this to bring it back from the dead and because I’m bored as hell :/

Wilhelm Grimm often turned his head away, an ear unhearing of what his brother was saying. Jacob being too stubborn and convinced that their next 'supernatural' problem was in fact supernatural, meaning that in his eyes there was real magic involved. His increasing excitement was becoming worrisome to the point where Will had to silence his brother so he could think matters through. They had just left Marbaden to get some well deserved rest when suddenly they stumbled upon an ice-like landscape. A ghost town abandoned by every living creature. It both intrigued and frightened Will. He knew he wouldn't be able to calm his companion down until they had discovered what was wrong with the icy town. Of course the eldest of the two knew that it was as much as impossible for it to be freezing in the middle of a hot summer. The sun was out, but it seemed dead. As if they were thrown inside a dome where the sun was dulled so much that there was barely light nor warmth.

"Ice demon!" Jacob shouted suddenly. Will flinched and shook his head. How did it get this far? He wondered not sparing a glance towards his brother.

"I think we should try and find a warm place for the night. Your ice-demon can wait until I've had some sleep." Will insisted pulling his horse along the frosty path. He heard Jacob huff behind him, but he kept his tongue. A wise decision Will noted.

By the time they found a stable with hay, both brothers were fighting off the shivers of the growing cold. The further they went into town, the colder it seemed to get. Will lay down on one of the hay stacks and sighed heavily. Why weren't they allowed some rest before something jumped on them. Will had hoped to get some free time in a town and get laid while Jacob did whatever he always did after a job well done. Sure enough those jobs were created by themselves and desperate town’s people who wanted them to free their town of the supposed threat that didn't actually exist.

"Will?" Jacob asked at one point well into the night. Will decided to ignore him and turned around, facing away from his younger brother. "Will?" He started to sound inpatient. A shuffling sound suggested Jake had started to rummage through their belongings in search of something, but the closure of his voice was telling Will something else entirely. "Wilhelm?!" Jacob was still whispering, but it was a harsh, frightened sound that made Will turn so he could glare angrily at his brother.

"I swear, Jake, if you're too scared to go out to take a piss, you'll have to deal with it." Will said, his voice had steadily risen in volume which only seemed to aggravate Jake's problem. Jacob had started making frantic gestures, trying to tell Will to be quiet.

"You were too loud." Jacob whispered as quietly as he could, staring off over Will's shoulder with widened, frightened, eyes. Wilhelm turned around slowly and saw a small creature lurking near their horses, its attention drawn to the human pair. Will swallowed and cleared his throat.

"Uh..." He tried to guess its species, but Will had never seen an animal resembling anything close to that thing and he was certain it wasn't human either.

"Vessel." It screeched into the silence of the stable. Both Jake and Will cringed at the sound of its croaky voice. It started getting closer, as did Jacob.

"What do you want?" Will asked the dark creature. A foul smell was permitting the air and getting stronger the closer the creature got.

"Vessel." It screeched once more.

"We don't have a vessel for you." Jake told it looking around frantically. He was slowly curling up on himself, his hold on his brother never lessened. A hold Will had never noticed up until now.

"Him." The creature pointed a crooked finger towards Wilhelm while its mouth steadily curled up into a grin. Its teeth were dark brown and almost black in the dim light. Will shook his head and laughed breathily.

"Sure you don't want me. Do you know how many people want me dead?" Will tried to make the creature lose interest even though he knew it was a fool attempt. Both brothers started to get up from the haystack they'd been sleeping on, slowly backing away from not only the demon-like creature, but also from the unbearable smell it was carrying around. They would never get to their horses without passing the ominous beast and they sure as hell knew that. Jake looked on longingly at his horse as they cautiously approached the door.

"No leave!" The creature suddenly screamed out. Jake and Will stood still. Petrified by the sound of the demon's voice. They looked at each other, neither knowing where this would go to. If only Will had agreed on settling down after all. Anjelica wouldn't have mind. She loved them. Especially Jacob.

"You see, we really should be on our way now." Jacob told the creature nervously. The moment Will darted for the door, the creature disappeared like a ghost caught by a flashlight. It reappeared all too soon and all too close to Will not shortly after. A startled yelp made Jacob let go of his brother's sleeve, afraid that somehow he had hurt him. But when he looked over WIll's shoulder, he saw the demon standing in the moonlight, inches away from his brother. Now cast in light, its grin even uglier than before, it looked like the rotten corpse of a child.

A human child. Will covered his nose while his stomach turned in knots at the sudden, rotten, smell.

"No leave." The corpse repeated. "Demon of death. Ryuga." It said as if it was greeting them. Will and Jake nodded, their heads were swimming and Will was silently convinced it was all a dream. Correction, nightmare.

"Brothers Grimm." Will said through his hands covering his nose and mouth.

"Grimm want leave. Grimm dead." The corpse's rotten throat moved in eerie ways. Will's concentration on the dead muscles made the creature's words sink in later than they should have.

Understanding dawned a little too late for the corpse had already started moving towards them again.

"This is not a demon. This is a zombie!" Will shouted at his brother, trying to get away from its outstretched arms. Jake had managed to get to their horses and was frantically searching through his book.

"No no, Ryuga is the demon of death and the opposite of the angel of death who is," Jake paused, turning towards Will before continuing, "Death." It made no sense. Will wanted to scream and hide somewhere in a corner until he could convince himself that magic wasn't real and that whatever Jacob had was contagious. "Are you doubting your own eyes?!" Jake nearly yelled at him when he saw his hesitance.

"Perhaps." Will stated wearily.

"Grimm not want me." The demon groaned, finally managing to reach Will unseen. A foreign cold suddenly started to stiffen Will's muscles while a looming shadow seemed to appear in his vision. A minute or so later and a floating feeling took Will towards another world. One of peace and serenity. That was, until the sound of inpatient horses guided him back towards reality. As if he woke from a deep slumber, Will opened his eyes to another cold day in the icy town.

"Jake?" Will asked. His voice sounded hoarse from the cold. He cleared it and shook his brother's shoulder. He could hear incoherent mutterings sounding much like his name. "Jake." Will shook him harder until Jacob opened his eyes.

"Will. You... how?" He started asking. He was looking around, searching around the stable half expecting something to jump at them. “I had a strange nightmare.” Jacob concluded when he decided that nothing was out of place.

“So did I.” Will laughed and got up to stretch his achy legs. When had he gotten so sore? He wondered paying half a mind to whatever Jake was saying until he heard the words ‘Demon of death’ being uttered sleepily. He turned around to face his brother, a heavy sense he couldn’t define started tugging at his heart. It grew until he had to remind himself to breathe.

“Will? It was just a dream. Right?” Jake asked as he started to get up. For once, Will found himself in a comical situation where he wasn’t sure if he should allow Jake to believe he’d been dreaming about magic and beans and all the usual stuff. Wilhelm could still feel the echoes of cold dead hands touching his chest, the world darkening around him, trying to pull him asunder from the world he knew. A reality created by the mere sight of a walking corpse, not to be confused with the mindless creatures people called zombies. No. This had been a demon. A real one at that.

“Beans, Jake.” Will merely said. He saddled the horses and prepared to leave regardless of any arguments his brother might throw at him. Fortunately for him, Jacob kept his silence and started packing the thin blankets. This in itself should have been strange, but Will didn’t care. He was sure they’d had the same dream and not only that, but the mirrored movements of his brother suggested that he’d been just as frightened as he’d been. The only difference was that Jake still seemed intent on finding out what was going on. He was buried deep into his book, scribbling away while he tried to decipher the severity of their situation.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least I've got a few hits ^^  
> That proves to me that this fandom wasn't as dead as I had initially thought :'D

They led their horses through the dead town. A heavy air hung around the pair. It pulled at their lungs, forcing them to take cautious and calculated breaths.

“There’s this story.” Jacob began. Will kept his eyes on the road even though his attention was drawn towards his brother. A thoughtful expression washed over him before he shooed it away.

“I’m already regretting stopping by the library.” Will muttered to himself. Jacob’s love for books had eventually won the argument Jacob had started fueling when he saw a sign that read the town’s library was just down the road.

“It says here that ‘a cursed traveler will come by, slay a horse and run into the river where he shall drown, unleashing an unseen destruction of ice’.” Jacob nodded his head in what seemed like interest. “I bet they didn’t believe in magic, Will.” Jake said with a small forced smile. “They hid the book on a far too high shelve in the library.” He told him. Will just nodded, his mind traveling further than his eyes could possibly see with the rising fog. It was a fog created by the ice.

“That doesn’t explain the demon.” Will said thoughtfully. What he didn’t realize was that he was practically saying he believed there was a demon or more specifically, there was real magic involved.

“Oh? Are you accepting reality?” Jacob asked with a grin.

“I’m accepting my own reality without magic, but one cannot ignore the demon of death when it’s breathing down one’s shoulder while one is asleep.” Will countered. He threw a frown over his shoulder before turning his eyes back on the road.

“You had the same nightmare?” Jake asked, his grin had fallen from his lips to form a worried frown. This wasn’t right.

“About the demon and whatnot. Yes.” Will confirmed sternly.

“We need to do something about this.” Jake said pulling the rein. His horse halted immediately.

“This town is already lost.” Will said. His voice was getting softer the more he spoke. His words strung together as if they were glued somehow. “There are no people left to save.” He was almost muttering now. When had he become so tired? His head was heavy, his vision had an edge to it and his horse’s steps were starting to sound distant. The strangest sensation brought him out of his stupor, he hadn’t even noticed he’d gotten off his horse until his head started hurting. An incessant throb that kept on hammering inside his head.

“Will!” He heard a distant voice creating ripples inside his head. There should have been peace, yet the echoes of the bells of tomorrow were already ringing. They were piercing through him, insisting on being acknowledged. Instead, Will did everything in his might to ignore the incessant sound. “Wilhelm!” Why so frantic? A frightened tone underlined the voice he was hearing. “…’elp me out.” Where was it coming from? If his hand hadn’t felt as numb as it did, he would have brought it up to his mouth in a thoughtful gesture. Allegedly, he was forced to sit tight and wait for whatever would happen next. By any means, Will was not a patient man when it came down on waiting for something to strike down on him. He knew that someone was expecting something from him, but he just couldn’t figure out what. A bone chilling cold was starting to settle into his muscles now and hell if he knew where it was coming from. “…should come back…me.” The voice wasn’t making any sense, Will decided. He fought back a sigh of annoyance. What was it on about and why couldn’t it form whole phrases? Someone care to explain?

“G’way.” Will slurred out. He managed to slightly lift his hand in an attempt to push the voice away from him. His hand ended up dropping back to his side, but he’d be damned if he knew why he couldn’t feel it.

“You…up.” What up? Will fought the urge to roll his eyes mainly because somewhere he knew that he couldn’t. His eyelids felt like lead.

“Wha?” He asked. If he couldn’t make sense of the voice soon, he’d go bonkers.

“You really need to wake up, Will.” The fog was clearing and suddenly his senses felt overstimulated by the invading noise of what appeared to be his own brother’s voice and the light streaming through his eyelids. His body felt like it was on fire, an ice cold fire raging through him and through his veins. His numb hands shot up to cover his eyes, acting of their own accord in an effort to try and shield his eyes. He was curling in on himself until he felt a hand on his shoulder and a voice telling him to calm down. All at once, everything just stopped. There was no sound. There was no light. Everything was gone before a voice called out.

“I too suffer.”

Will stood inside an empty tavern facing a rotting corpse.

“A life is not lost to death.” The corpse told him. Will could make out the distinct appearance of a small girl, her voice hoarse and unused, but still obviously from a child. “Death is but a place.” She said with an ever present grin. The flesh around her mouth had long since rotten away, giving her a slightly less innocent appearance. She seemed deluded were it not for her words. Somehow, Wilhelm was willing to accept that. He’d been pretty close to death himself.

“A peaceful one.” Will said at last.

“No.” The child disagreed, her voice wavered. “It is chaotic.” She stated. A cold gust seemed to sweep up from beneath them. Will’s feet started growing cold and soon it climbed up all the way to his head, earning him a massive headache.

“You must free what is not actually dead.” The girl told him before he was cast back into a body with numb hands and cold feet. Slowly he opened his eyes to see blue eyes staring back at him with the most relieved expression he’d ever seen.

“God, Will.” Jake breathed out. Somehow they’d gotten back to the library where Jacob had placed Will into one of the seats. “You scared the daylights out of me.” His brother said with a smile.

“What happened?” Will asked, fighting the urge to rub his head. It kept on pounding, but the numbness in his hands were keeping him from using them. It felt too strange.

“You tell me.” Jake said with an exhausted yet relieved huff. “You just stepped off your horse and tried to walk further down the road, I tried to draw your attention but you just kept going until you collapsed.” Jacob explained with a frown.

“I’m sorry.” Will apologized. He sat upright from his already seated position on the seat. His attention was focused on trying to get his feet into position so he could stand, but somehow they would not obey him. “Strange.” He muttered.

“What is it?” Jake asked.

“My feet.” Will said with a frown. “They feel detached.” Jake couldn’t help but laugh at the sight in front of him. Will was staring down at his feet as if he had just discovered them and proclaimed they were not attached to his legs. It was a sight that cast an interesting light in a dark day. The darkness overpowered the light too fast to enjoy though.

* * *

 

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this might be a rather pointless chapter lol. I’m dragging this out X’D

As it turned out, luck really wasn’t on their side and if it were a person they would have laughed in joy at their current situation. Will’s detached legs were in fact useless and if Jake were to go by his brother’s expression, he could tell they might have been someone else’s indeed. Though his brother’s unusual small feet were too recognizable for a theory that absurd.  
Conclusion was that, yes, there was magic involved and that no, beans wouldn’t be able to fix it. As per usual. Eventually they decided to play it safe and leave town as fast as possible.

“Odd.” Will muttered as Jake half dragged half carried him towards his horse.

“What?” Jacob asked, his voice was strained with the weight of his brother.

“You must free what is not actually dead.” Will quoted. He hadn’t told Jake about the girl, but he had to admit, his interests were piqued.

“Did you hit your head? We can’t. Those people are most definitely dead.” Jake answered him once they got to the horses. “How are we going to do this, now?” He asked no one specifically. Will was looking at his brother, a bewildered glance enhancing his blue, piercing, eyes.

“Why would you think it was about the town’s people?” Will asked. Jacob put him down carefully and rested him against the wooden wall next to their horses. Will was starting to feel queasy, his stomach was turning in ways he never knew was possible for an organ to turn.

“I’m sorry, what were you talking about?” Jake asked. He looked around until he spotted the haystacks. With as much strength he could muster, he started to drag the largest towards Wilhelm.

“I don’t know.” Will stated wearily. Jacob halted his efforts and stared at him for the longest of moments.

“Are you feeling alright?” Jake asked when he noted the rapidly paling face of his brother. When Will didn’t answer, Jacob crouched down so he could get a better grip on him. In a less-than-manly way he managed to heft Wilhelm onto his horse. “I’m going to tie my horse to yours, I won’t risk you falling off.” Jake said. He knew he wouldn’t get an answer, Will had been strangely unresponsive in the last ten minutes, but they had to leave this town or else it might get worse. At least, that’s what Jacob suspected. Perhaps they ought to go back to Marbaden where they could rest plenty. The people there treated them as kings, sure they would welcome them back with thick warm blankets and food. A lot of food. That made Jake think. They needed food.

Jacob climbed onto Will’s horse where his brother had fallen into a light slumber, his form slouched over the horse’s neck. The animal itself had an air of boredom looming over them, its tranquil expression almost worried Jake if it hadn’t reacted to its owner slowly sliding off, alerting Jake successfully.

“Good gods, Will.” Jacob muttered. He was gripping Will’s by the shoulder which allowed Jake to feel the heat rising off of his face. “That’s definitely not normal.” He noted panicky. He glanced at the door longingly before he drifted his gaze towards the window and the darkening sky. He settled his eyes back on Will, unsure of what to do. Going out there could kill him. Staying in there might kill them both. “At least you won’t suffer alone.” Jake grunted as he got off the horse. He weighed their options one last time. It was he who needed to decide for once. Perhaps it wasn’t even so bad outside and if they were fast enough, they might get to Marbaden in a day or two. Once they were out of town, they would enter a place where the sun hung high in the sky, spreading its warmth like a blanket.  
This time, Jacob got on the horse with a sense of finality. They would get out of there.

“Jake?” Will’s voice sounded quiet, a suppressed whimper caught in his brother’s throat, an action that didn’t get lost on the other’s ears.

“I’m right here.” Jake answered. The horse moved towards the doorway, its breath notably getting more visible.

“ ‘s cold.” Will complained. Jacob closed his eyes, but let his feet and hands do whatever was necessary to get out of town faster. The horse sped up, only slightly hindered by its companion which was carrying all of their belongings.

“I know. Try and hold on, Will.” Jake sighed when his brother didn’t reply, but all he couldn’t do anything about the cold. It was a force that couldn’t be fought against. It pried until it settled deep into its enemy; warmth.

The shadows of dusk were starting to settle and they were still caught in the icy claws of the dead town. Jake feared they must have gotten lost, Will was the one who always led them through towns and forests.

“We lost?” Came Wilhelm’s timely question. His voice seemed less distant, Jake noted.

“That depends, are you going to yell at me?” Jacob asked, a grimace set over his face in preparation for the inevitable.

“Have I ever?” Will asked, a hint of a huff followed his question. Jake smiled at the soft sound, his concern momentarily forgotten.

“We haven’t eaten yet.” Jacob noted sullenly.

“Perhaps there’s something over that bridge.” Will said gesturing towards something in the thick fog.

“What bridge?” Jake asked, his expression one of hope.

“The one made of beans.” Will said, his gaze distant and faraway. He was looking at something only he could see. Jacob, who was sitting behind him, couldn’t see the expression of amazement. He pulled the rein and the horses halted, their steady path forward breached.

“Will, what are you impl…” He trailed off when he took a better look. Sure enough, there was a bridge. It wasn’t made of beans, but it was certainly the same bridge they had used to enter the town. “…ying?” Jacob finished. A thud resounded in the silence of the darkness. Jake looked down to see a book, one he hadn’t seen before.

“My book fell.” Will simply said, looking down at the worn cover. His name was written in curly letters, a handwriting so unique, Jake knew who it belonged to even if he would have grown up not being able to read. Nevertheless, he learned how to read and write and he had every intention of using those abilities to the fullest.

“I’ll get it.” Jake said. He quickly looked at the bridge, just to make sure it was still there and it was. He retrieved the book, its back was covered in mud. No matter, their exit lay before their very eyes and yet they were being stalled by a book. Probably an empty one at that. Will wasn’t a writing type. Book clutched to his chest, Jake walked the horses towards the bridge. If asked, he would have shamelessly admitted to being scared their freedom would disappear if they stalled much longer.

They were closing in on the bridge, a warmth was spreading like fire. Jake moved forward, the horses being guided by the warming hands of one of their owners, the other laying in an unmoving heap on his own horse. They crossed the bridge, the hooves of both horses resounded eerily. The landscape of fog and ice fell away as did the ceasing, steady, sound of Will’s breath.

“Jake.” Will called out softly. “Jake.” He tried again when he failed to gain his brother’s attention.

“We’re out.” Jake said genuinely happy. He looked back at Wilhelm and paled at what he saw. He’d taken on an ashen color, his eyes were sunken and his breathing sounded shallow. Jacob gasped and looked back and forth between his brother and the bridge. How did that happen so fast?! He started panicking, rocking back and forth on his heels as he decided what he was going to do next.

“Back.” Will said weakly. He made a vague gesture towards the foggy bridge, clearly indicating that he wanted to go back across.

“Why? Will.” Jacob asked with tears in his eyes.

“Save them, save me.” He muttered. Was that it? Was that what needed to be done? Had the girl been an echo left by the people who once resided there? Had she died because of the same illness that had befallen him? Will could only try and guess. Theories formed inside his head, his mind taken for a dance swirling with unspoken words.

“Promise me you won’t leave me.” Jacob demanded. Will gave a short, curt, nod. A nod that calmed the raging worry inside Jacob. He knew it could have been an empty promise, words left to guess, replaced by a voiceless nod of the head. The crossed the bridge once more, Jake felt the cold settle while the warmth left in fleeting fright at the sudden intruder. Will’s expression however seemed void of pain and his ashen face found some color at last. It would have been intriguing would it not have been for the clarity it contributed to their situation. They couldn’t leave a town covered in ice. They were forced to either save it, die trying or die trying to get out. At least Will was. Jacob during all this, could walk out just like that if he had the heart to leave his brother. Of course he didn’t so he considered Will’s unfortunate predicament his own. It almost made him feel sick.

Another few hours of aimless wandering, they found shelter where they also found food. Curled up in two too thin blankets, Will had allowed himself to drift off into the arms of Morpheus. That is, if he believed in any god at all. For him, sleep really didn’t feel like a warm embrace of a god of sleep, it felt like the hands of death were hovering above him. Jake entered the kitchen of the small cottage they had taken refuge in. He wasn’t aware he was still holding Wilhelm’s book until he opened a cabinet so he could try and warm something up. First a fire. He thought as an afterthought. He laid the book down and went to the living room where he lit a fire. Next he would take a look at that book. Jake had been wondering why he hadn’t seen it before, they had traveled together for a long time after all. He turned page after page, finding it less than empty. He read pieces and bits of what he could tell were musings of what ought to be trivial things in life, but what obviously fueled his brother’s writing. Jacob decided to read a bit, his eyes unable to tear away from the handwriting that was obviously his brother’s.

_‘What if there were no colors apart from the sky? What do colors inflict upon the human mind? Would there be only greys to compare or would the sky cast a reflection of its true soul and give us the most beautiful reflection? But still, that impression would be a mere mirage because the trees wouldn’t be blue after all. They would be grey. Our eyes, would be black. Endless garrisons of emotions we wouldn’t know how to express for there are no colors to link them to. Life would be dull even though we wouldn’t know a world with colors. Would there be any form of elation or would it be a distant feeling of detachment mixed with the unconscious suppression of euphoria? It’s an ever unanswered question for there are colors all around us, and those who do not see at all, can only link it to words. Yet, they are happy. Does one truly need colors in order to survive a world of dullness yet unsightly greys and endless skies of blue as their only knowledge?_

_Could it be that colors represent happiness and guide our brains in maintaining this so-called happiness even though we often forsake its true intentions in helping us withstand the hardship of life? While the fading colors would indicate a distance put between what is absolute and what is but a fraction of the reality your brain is withholding behind blanched colors?_

_There is no answer to a question without prove of an alternate reality. A reality feared upon and cast sideways. Understandably so.’_

It almost scared Jake. He tore his eyes off of the book, a heavy feeling pressed down on his chest.

“There are colors.” Jake nodded to himself in a reassuring manner. How could there be a world without? Jake shook the image out of his head. Food. They needed food.

* * *

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The ‘color’ thing was something I wrote at least a year ago, perhaps a bit less than a year, but it’s close enough ö


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There are a couple of things I need to address here. One being my terrible English. Honestly. I just reread what I had written so far and couldn't hold back cringing on several occasions. I'm both sorry for that and my sudden disappearance. Which brings me to the next issue. I have the tendency to 'abandon' (but come back to after some time) fics. I've taken to writing out the entire fic before posting it, so if I find inspiration for another story in this fandom. I'm writing the entire thing first lol
> 
> Oh, and just so you know, this one isn't finished yet. My 'writing out the entire thing before posting' rule starts after this fic. Otherwise you'll have to wait longer for this.
> 
> Enjoy the extra long chapter ^^

 

 

 

By the time Jake got back from the kitchen, Will lay awake and shivering, seeking all the warmth the thin blankets and the fire had to offer. He was huddled in on himself and alive. Which was all Jake cared for at the moment. The fire cast an interesting glow on the awfully domestic scene, creating an alternate reality of coziness. Its illusions were easily broken by the severity of the situation though.

"I couldn't find much. It's frozen so it should still be edible." Jake said holding up a pot of beans in tomato sauce. Will nearly laughed at the irony. Here he lay, practically dying -depending on how serious his unfortunate predicament actually was- and Jake came back with beans. If he could, he would have hit him over the head with his pot of beans, but they had nothing else to eat so he kept to himself while Jake fueled the fire so he could start defrosting their food.

“It’s getting colder.” Will said. His eyes were focused on the fire, trying to figure out why he couldn’t feel it anymore. He was half tempted to reach out and feel it, but the welcome hand on his forehead stopped him. He hadn't even registered its presence until he felt its increasing pressure.

“You’re burning up.” Jacob noted solemnly. He knew how to be ill, not how to help someone else who was. He left the beans to warm up while he returned to the kitchen, using all the help the cottage had to offer. So far, it was going fairly well for them, Jake observed halfheartedly. He scanned the small kitchen, opening cabinets and even breaking some doors, their hinges breaking under the pressure of the freezing cold and the sudden force of usage.

He found a cloth, stiff from the cold but useful all the same. Now he had to find running water. He thought about the water they had on their horses, though it would be frozen by now. He sought through the kitchen once more, opening various compartments until he found a few bottles of vodka. Jake smiled sadly at the well-hidden stack. He imagined a husband and his wife living here, the husband sneaking in a few bottles every once in a while. As he took one with him he was satisfied to note that it wasn’t frozen. “Apparently, you are,” He paused as he thought of a word, “unfreezable.” He said with a grimace. He should come up with another word someday, perhaps even write his very own *dictionary. Wilhelm would want to help, Jake supposed or rather hoped. He walked back into the living room and sat down before the fire and his brother who was dozing off. Jacob stirred the beans, pleased to see the steam rising out of the pot.

“How hard can it be?” Will asked suddenly.

“What?” Jake asked genuinely confused.

“Saving all.” Will sighed deeply. If Jake wasn’t on high alert, he would have looked at his brother and tried to imagine his half lidded eyes were the result of contentment after another job well done rather than an incurable illness. When Jacob allowed the words of his brother to sink in, he laughed more to emphasize his disbelief. “Seriously,” Wilhelm started. He opened his eyes a little more and looked with bright blue eyes towards dimming brown ones, burdened by the weight of caring for the both of them. Something he had no experience in.

“Let’s start with one person at a time.” He said moving briskly about. He didn’t know whether to focus on his brother, their food, or the vodka. He decided to go for the vodka and uncapped it, struggling for a moment before clumsily pouring a bit onto the frozen cloth. It went slack in his hand, but it was still cold to the touch. “I’m going to lay this on your forehead. I know it smells.” But at least you would stay awake so I won’t have to worry about you dying all of a sudden. Jacob added to himself. The smell was strong, but if it cooled down the furnace that was Wilhelm’s rising fever, the stank was well worth it.

“I actually like the smell.” Will told him. Jake scoffed at his remark. Only his brother, he concluded.

“I was thinking about writing a dictionary.” Jake told him as he laid the cloth on Will’s forehead. He turned his attention back towards the beans, wondering if they were ready or not.

“Really? With our misplaced luck we’ll end up dead, your dictionary ending with the word “fruit”. No one will buy half a book.” Jake looked crestfallen. He had hoped to get at least a bit of a positive reaction, not this. On a side note, Jake was relieved for Will’s more coherent state of mind.

“Who says we won’t finish it. We won’t die at the same time.” Jake tried to defend his cause. Will’s wane smile went unnoticed, but it didn’t falter when he replied,

“Picture this, if we do this and I die," He said calmly before continuing, "and you continue to write, who says you won’t die four years later? Will you be able to write every word in existence in four years?” Will asked. “Beans, brother.” He muttered, closing his eyes momentarily. He was exhausted, it was obvious, but Jake didn’t want him to sleep yet. He might never wake up. Time was grinning down at them with malice, death right beside it with a patient and welcoming smile. Jake took the pot off the fire and poured half of the beans back in the can. He picked up a fork he had found earlier and forced it between his brothers icy fingers. He waited for him to hold it on his own, but the hand stayed frozen in place.

“Will.” Jake called out. Wilhelm’s eyes opened, but his hand stayed slack. His expression told it all. The confusion settled deep into his eyes at his name being called so sternly explained more than Jake could handle. Will couldn’t feel the fork in his hand. The inox object clattered to the wooden floor causing an echo to travel the spacious room. “Move your hand.” Jacob commanded quietly. He held his breath, studying his brother’s face. It changed from confusion to realization and eventually horror.

“What’s happening?” He asked. His breath was coming out short and shaky. When had this happened? Jake held his head. This was it, he thought. There was no way out of this. Was their happily ever after a sorrowful death forever and after? Likely. “This is normal.” Will tried to comfort them both even though he was failing, despite the empty words filled with faux hope Jake smiled. Perhaps he should allow his brother to sleep, end this as quickly as possible.

No. He wouldn’t let that happen. They were both going to get out of there alive and healthy, thank you very much.

“I’m going to fix this. Stay awake.” Jake said determined. He got up, the beans forgotten. He stared into nothingness, allowing his mind to wander back towards the stable they had stayed in the night before. “Demon of death, I call upon you.” He called out. To those standing a bit further away, Jake might have seemed brave and fearless, but if they looked carefully, they could have seen the frightened glint flickering through his eyes. He kept his gaze towards the wall. Unwavering. Wilhelm was staring at him wearily.

“Have you gone off your rocker?” Will asked in a hushed whisper. Why would one call out to a demon of all beings? Not to mention the ‘death’ part.

“Probably.” Was Jacob’s only answer. He was right out terrified by the creature that was probably enjoying its work. Jacob winced knowing it was probably swimming in a pool of self-satisfactory.

A high pitched screech alerted both brothers of the vile presence that was the demon.

“You did this.” Jake accused. He pointed towards his brother. He was answered by another screech before the sound turned almost painful to listen to. It's high frequency bore through his eardrums like knifes. Poking and stabbing like folly laughter would sound disturbing. Jake had to correct himself there though, this incessant screeching was even beyond disturbing.

“You don’t have the right.” Jake heard his brother state from behind him. He had to reconsider his conclusion on who was more insane. “Is this what you did to the town’s people? You made them ill?” Will asked. The demon was closing in now, taking awfully slow but huge steps. It made lower pitched sounds now, almost whining. Its hand reached out to Jake who stood petrified and could only watch in morbid fascination as the mangled hand drew nearer.

“Lonely.” It whispered hoarsely. Jake almost missed the word if he hadn’t been standing so close to it. “Death.” Terrifying. Was the only thing Jacob could think of. When the demon’s hand nearly touched his chest, Jacob found the strength to move. He ducked quickly, grabbing for the fork he had dropped earlier. In a seemingly effortless move he plunged it into one of the blackened eye sockets. It started screaming and backed off a few steps, tearing out the fork from its now sightless eye.

“You made it angry.” Will noted, sounding only half interested. Jake merely had time to register the sleepiness of his brother’s voice, his words never getting through to him before the demon threw the fork back at Jake. Time was either on their side or it was enjoying the show. In any case, Jake was feeling exceptionally lucky that the demon’s aim was terribly off. The fork missed him by a meter if not more. Jacob resisted the urge to laugh, knowing the demon had been aiming at him.

“Please.” Jake held up his hands, stumbling back clumsily. He crouched down next to Will, who hadn’t moved an inch. “We have done you no harm, let us go.” Jake pleaded. He knew that any chance they might have had, had probably flown off together with the fork the moment it touched the demon. No harm done. Jake thought sarcastically, internally scolding himself for his imprudent actions.

“You.” The demon pointed at both brothers, its hand hovering in the air seemingly pointing in between them. “mean.” It said. The strangely disappointed tone made Jake question whether the creature had intentionally missed him. Was it trying to make friends, thinking touch would be the only way to seal friendship? That was too absurd, Jake concluded and shook the notion away altogether. Will got ill after the demon touched him, Jake reminded himself. But why was it standing there, waiting for something to happen? It was staring at them, its head tilted in obvious confusion.

“Mean? We?” Jake snorted, unsure of how to proceed. "Look," Jake adjusted his glasses flimsily before holding out a hand in a 'wait' gesture. "tell us what you want." He told Ryuga who just stood there soundlessly.

"Vessel." His answer had not come from the demon. Jake looked around, endeavoring to connect the voice to the apparition his mind must have conjured up to compensate for the stress and strain he'd been dealing with. He soon found a girl standing in the far corner of the room. She was watching Jacob with big pleading eyes.

"I don't get it." Jacob told her. The demon turned towards the girl slowly while she grinned at Jacob in silent apology before turning her eyes towards his brother. Jacob followed her gaze, shaking his head all the while. "No no," He said to the girl. He watched the prone figure of his brother convey the impression of fading away from existence, but Jacob held on to the -possibly faulty- discernment of this being another dream and not some kind of incubus winning a battle he hadn't known he was battling in the first place. Though that wasn't completely true. Ryuga had introduced itself in a rather insolent way. Jacob couldn't contrivance around that, no, he had to figure this out fast. He focused back on the girl and bore his eyes into hers determinedly.

"The cursed traveler didn't find peace." The girl told him. The demon was standing by her side, watching her closely with its one good eye.

"Cursed traveler?" Jacob questioned. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He felt the pressing urge to turn around to see if Will was still alive, but he didn't dare to turn around. He wouldn't have seen him anyway. The world around him had dissolved into a less familiar place where he stood inside a tavern, the chill inside the spacious place ran bone-deep. "The one who drowned with the horse?" No that wasn't it. Jacob thought after he asked it out loud. How did it go? The cursed man who set free a demon, drowned with his horse and…no. That wasn't it. "A cursed traveler will come by, slay a horse and run into the river where he shall drown, unleashing an unseen destruction of ice." Jacob felt the need to question the choice of words though, 'unseen' was barely going to cover the icy landscape outside. He looked up from the spot he had been looking at on the floor, but both the demon and the girl were gone. He glanced around the tavern curiously before his vision started swimming suddenly. Before he knew what was happening, the tavern had morphed itself back into the small living room he and Will had 'claimed' for the time being. Wait. Will.

He quickly turned around, crouching down before he could even assess anything. Wilhelm's face had taken on a pale complexion with a hint of blue in his lips. His eyes were sunken and his chest was barely rising and falling. Jacob cursed quietly, drawing his hands up to his face nervously. As fast as his shaky hands could move, he took the vodka-stained washcloth and wetted it with some more vodka. The alcohol doesn't freeze, but it was all for good measure.

"Hold on, Will. I'm going to figure this out." So he sat down and watched over his brother while he thought, the can of beans forgotten.

Time passed by. Minutes felt like an eternity, but they were just seconds ticking and ticking in an ostensibly perpetual manner. Jacob had no way to discern what time it was, but it didn't matter. He knew when it was too late and he knew that it was not right now. It wasn't just about the town's people or Will anymore. To save all, Jacob had to save both the cursed traveler and the demon. He had figured out that much. So what now? Find the traveler? He had drowned. How was he going to reach a dead guy? Jacob shook his head at his own thoughts. He was going to talk to him the same way he talked to the demon. If ageless women, demons with rotting vessels and canned beans existed, why would ghosts be a myth? He looked down at his brother with a small smile. If their roles had been reversed, Will would have bolted out of the town the moment he'd gotten the chance if only to run from the truth that was…well…magic and the clear existence thereof rather than questioning the plausibility of said magic. As soon as his brother got better, he was going to make sure Will wasn't going to pass it off as one big hallucination. Or call it a deluded aberration his mind had spawned together while he was ill. Jacob snickered at the thought absentmindedly, he could already imagine it.

Jake placed his hand on his brother's cheek to check his temperature. It was still way too high. He sighed and extinguished the flame that was his rapidly failing good mood. He hoped the little time Will had spent sleeping was going to be enough for him. They needed to move fast and Jake wasn't going to sleep with his brother shuffling towards the edge of a cliff with no one standing by to keep watch to prevent him from toppling over.

So he did what he hoped was best and started shaking Wilhelm's shoulder in order to rouse him. It didn't have the desired effect at first, making him a little anxious which resulted in him shaking Will harder and more frantic.

"nnng." Will groaned. Jacob froze and sat back, watching his brother's face.

"We need to go." He told him quietly with his face almost pushed into Will's. Wilhelm opened his eyes wearily, but made no further move to try and get up neither did he yell at Jake to get out of his face. Which, in itself, should be a cause of serious concern. "I'm going to prepare the horses, don't fall asleep." He told him sternly. When were things going become like they used to?

 

**TO BE CONTINUED**


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